Are you a person who in their heart is still a teenager fantasising about your knight in shining armour swooping in and taking you for a ride on their majestic dragon, or your nerdy hot crush just admiring you while you’re reading your books and occasionally brings you food and then leaves you in comfortable silence? 

Well, suffice to say that books certainly have raised our standards to a limit that ensures no boys can come within a 50 feet radius of us.

 Here is a list of fictional men who ruined real-life men for us:

Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy
(Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen)

This absolute train wreck of a human being who doesn’t know how to talk to girls but still ends up marrying his crush is honestly an inspiration to all nerds out there. We’re discussing a man who is interpreted as cocky and pretentious but honestly just wants to hide in a cave for the rest of his life. He has a stern face for everyone but as soon as it comes to his Lizzie his smile lights up the whole room. He is the same man responsible for giving us an undying obsession with the word ardently that no matter how ardently we try we cannot stop. 

Simon Lewis
(The Mortal Instruments – Cassandra Clare)

In the great words of Isabelle lightwood,’ he’s kinda nerd hot’.Simon Lewis is the boy next door who wanted nothing but normal life, but still gets dragged into drama anyway. he’s the kinda guy who will spend hours rambling about his favourite movie, and you wouldn’t be able to look away from his adorable face. Also, who can resist a vampire who plays in a band? 

Alec lightwood
(The Mortal Instruments – Cassandra Clare)

No matter how much anyone denies it, Malec is everyone’s OTP. Alec is a tall black-haired, blue-eyed, arrow shooting heartthrob, but also an absolute disaster when it comes to functioning like a normal person. The way Alec treats Magnus makes our heartache, he’s ready to go to the depths of hell to save him and even though he knows Magnus will outlive him, he loves him with his whole heart. Everyone wants a relationship like Magnus and Alec’s but unfortunately, it’s fictional.

Augustus Waters
(The Fault In Our Stars- John Green)

Augustus Waters is a name that repeatedly drives a knife into our hearts and makes us bawl our eyes out. This man singlehandedly raised our standards so much they can hardly be seen. In this time of boys saying ’wanna chill’ we want someone who says ” I’m in love with you, and I know love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re doomed and there will come a day when all our labour has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you” BRB I gotta go cry.

Nicholas Devereaux
(The Princess Diaries- Meg Cabot)

Although it’s practically impossible to look past Chris pine’s piercing blue eyes, Nicholas’s character is enough for us to fall in love with him. He’s the prince on a majestic horse, or on an ancient bike, who’s chivalrous and charming attitude makes every girl within a five-mile radius swoon. He’s the recipe of what every girl wants, a strong and charming man capable of saving you, but knows that you are capable of fighting for yourself and don’t need saving. He’s ready to hold your bag and say ’go get em’ while he watches you fondly in the background. 

Alex Gabriel Claremont Diaz
(Red, White and Royal Blue- Casey McQuiston)

The literal definition of tall dark and handsome? Check.
Is an absolute cinnamon roll? Check.
Ready to risk a presidential run for you? Check.

This is the name you can find in the dictionary as an example under ’bisexual disaster’. The most accurate description of him is that he only has two brain cells, both occupied by politics and Henry simultaneously. The exchange of emails and poetry between him and Henry is something that can only be found in books.

Benjamin ’Benji’ Campbell
(Love, Victor – Becky Albertalli)

Benji is one of the sweetest people to exist, all he wanted was to be appreciated by his boyfriend. Nobody can match his level of charm or how considerate he is. Every girl wants to be treated like he treated victor when he was at his worst, he didn’t care about his reputation even when everyone else was making fun of him, he only cared about Victor. We all felt exactly like Victor when he was unable to concentrate and instead was making dreamy eyes at his biceps.

Who is your favourite book-boyfriend?